Anthony Joshua aims to step up the levels

YOU know someone’s big when they make a ring entrance merely for a public workout. Anthony Joshua marched to the ring to the sort of welcome normally reserved for a fight night. Fans turned out in force to see the IBF heavyweight champion at York Hall in London on Monday as Joshua carried out a light session, shadow-boxing, skipping and hitting the pads with increasing venom to the cheers of his supporters.

The hard work of his training camp is winding up but Joshua is remaining focused on his first world title challenger, America’s Dominic Breazeale.

He told the Sky cameras, “The next time I step in the ring it’s to face my rival Breazeale. There’s still hard work in a weird way because even if it’s not physically draining it is mentally. Because my coach expects a lot from me. He wants me to step up the levels. He wants me to be sharp. So even though it’s not physically draining there’s a lot of mental training.”

Undercard fighters including Chris Eubank Jr, George Groves, Conor Benn, Anthony Ogogo and more all performed public workouts and there were even two contests on the show. Craig Richards demolished Richard Horton to a round. After dropping Horton to a knee, Richards swiped him with a couple of hooks on the ground. A final right hook sent Horton flying half through the ropes and ended the bout at 2-59.

Ohara Davies forced a stoppage against Hungary’s Zoltan Szabo in five rounds after a cut saw the latter halted.